There’s a story told about a businessman well known for his ruthlessness who once announced to writer Mark Twain, “Before I die I mean to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I will climb Mount Sinai and read the 10 Commandments aloud at the top.”
“I have a better idea,” replied Twain. “You could stay in Boston and keep them.” Continue reading
Filed under Parables of Jesus, Passage To Ponder
Church growth. It’s a topic of interest to most preachers and pastors. Especially, as we witness the decline of so many churches today. And too often see young people leaving the church.
If you google church growth you will receive 402,000,000 responses in .50 seconds, which offer these insights. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
“Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught,” quipped one fisherman.
Fishermen are known for their tall tales. Their exaggeration about the size of their catch. And, of course, the big one that got away.
However, can you imagine, Peter telling the story about the day Jesus went fishing with him, James and John? It may well have been the basis of a sermon years later. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
According to the most-downloaded Bible app YouVersion, installed on over 500 million devices, the most shared Bible verse of 2022 is the same as 2020 during the rise of COVID. It also occupied the top spot in 2018.
It has universal application and shows how people felt and what or WHO is bringing them comfort. So, what does this verse offer that has such world-wide appeal?
Filed under Passage To Ponder
It was a rainy Sunday afternoon and a little brother and sister were playing “Noah and the Ark.”
An old shoe box was their ark. The bathtub was their flood. And all their plastic, toy animals were safe in the ark.
After the flood was over, they decided to offer a sacrifice to God. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship, Passage To Ponder
A little boy once asked his father, “Daddy, what’s the highest number you’ve ever counted to?”
“I don’t know, son,” the father replied. “What’s the highest number you’ve ever counted to?”
“973,” the boy quickly replied.
“Why did you stop there?” the father inquired. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
An Army Chaplain tells the story of sitting in the Officer’s Club one rainy day. In fact, it was more than rainy. It was a storm. The winds were blowing fiercely. The rains were descending in sheets. Nearby, two officers’ wives were watching the storm through the big picture window.
Suddenly, through a flash of lightning, one of the women saw a soldier standing outside on guard duty totally at the mercy of the raging storm. “Oh dear”, she said, “Look at the poor soldier out there in the storm.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Do you ever feel like we’re living in a world where everything is upside down?
We live in a world where what used to be wrong, is now called right. Where evil is called good. And good is called evil.
We live in a world where we’re pressured not just to tolerate, but to endorse and celebrate every deviate lifestyle imaginable. Where the abnormal is considered normal. And now normal is outdated and called bigoted. Where boys can become girls, and girls can change into boys. And where the most basic understanding of human biology is now questioned, and highjacked with new pronouns. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
“He who is without sin let him cast the first stone.”
This may be one of the most misunderstood, misused and misapplied Bible quotes by both Christians and non-Christians alike.
The quote occurs in today’s passage, while Jesus was teaching in the Temple. He was rudely interrupted by the scribes and Pharisees, parading an immoral woman, who was placed in the center of the crowd. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Gaius Plinius Secundus, called Pliny the Elder, lived during the days of Jesus and the apostles. He recorded an incredible story about the setting of an obelisk, which when erected would stand 99 feet tall.
Twenty thousand workers were chosen to pull on the ropes and activate the hoisting apparatus. There was great responsibility and risk in the operation. Just one error could cause the obelisk to fall, ruining years of work. Thus, the King demanded one act which insured the complete attention and best direction of the engineer. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
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